The present invention relates to a sheath assembly through which linear members are movably inserted, a manipulator, and a manipulator system.
For instance, there has been a manipulator widely used in which treatment tools are inserted through the body cavity of a patient and a distal end of the treatment tool is pulled as by means of a wire for bending to view, and apply treatments to, organs in the body cavity. For surgical operations, a plurality of treatment tools such as an endoscope for viewing purposes, forceps adapted to take hold of tissues or an electric scalpel adapted to cut off tissues are often inserted through the body cavity.
Regarding such a prior art manipulator, U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,608 typically disclose a structure in which a plurality of sheaths for receiving a driving wire are twisted together thereby reducing a difference in the length of the path taken between the respective sheaths.